Each year, businesses such as bars and restaurants purchase and sell a vast quantity of beverages including alcoholic beverages (e.g., beer, wine, and liquor) and non-alcoholic beverages (e.g., soda). Typically, alcoholic beverages such as wine and mixed drinks include alcohol in the form of liquor dispensed from a bottle. For example, a glass of wine is poured directly from a bottle, and similarly, a mixed drink such as a martini primarily includes gin or vodka poured from a bottle. To be profitable and to satisfy customers at the same time, a proper amount of alcohol must be dispensed from the bottle for each drink.
One aspect of controlling cost in distribution of alcoholic and/or non-alcoholic beverages is to ensure that the intended volume is dispensed from a bottle. For example, a beverage preparer such as a bartender or a waiter may inadvertently or intentionally pour more or less than the proper amount of alcohol when preparing a drink. To control the portion size of alcohol dispensed from a bottle, various pouring spouts such as “posi-pourers” are available to ensure the amount dispensed during a single act of dispensing is a predetermined volume (e.g., Conry, U.S. Pat. No. 3,321,113). For example, a pouring spout may be configured to dispense a predetermined volume of 1 oz. per pour from a bottle of vodka for a martini.
Although such predetermined volume pouring spouts may help the server to pour the proper amount from the bottle, a pouring spout used alone offers no way to prevent unauthorized dispensing from the bottle. For example, a server may simply tip the bottle additional times to pour a larger serving, or even remove the pourer entirely. Such unauthorized dispensing is tantamount to inventory theft and impacts establishments as lost sales and profit. Additionally, such inventory theft is exacerbated since it is difficult to detect. In one example, it is known that with a clear alcohol, an individual may remove the pouring spout, pour the alcohol out of the bottle, refill the bottle with water, and then reinsert the spout into the bottle. As a result, the missing alcohol may not be detected until an employee closely inspects the bottle, or in a worse case, when a customer complains of receiving a “weak” drink.
In another example, the preparer may easily over-dispense the proper amount of liquor, which may result in the customer consuming more alcohol than he or she intended thereby causing unintentional intoxication and increasing the risk of drunk driving. Similarly, the preparer may serve a drink and pocket the customer's payment instead of ringing it up on a cash register or point of sale terminal and depositing the payment. This type of theft (monetary and inventory) is also difficult to detect since it requires a combined reconciliation of sales and inventory. In a bar or restaurant setting, such reconciliation is often accomplished by comparing sales receipts, sales reports, or the like with payments (i.e., cash and credit card) and a visual inspection of beverage inventory. Often, to prevent theft of payments and unauthorized dispensing and improve sales and profitability, establishments resort to employing an individual to specifically oversee and closely supervise the work of one or more beverage preparers. However, it is disadvantageous to employ individuals to specifically perform such a task since an individual cannot be constantly vigilant, and in a worst case, may be complicit with a beverage preparer in the theft of inventory and monies.
Therefore, a need exists for an inexpensive, easy to use device that prevents unauthorized removal of a pour spout. Additionally, the device facilitates inventory control and sales and inventory reconciliation for a liquid dispensed from a container.